Couple Speak
by Saramund
Summary: General Hammond discovers something he wasn't aware of before.


Season: 7 (and a half)  
  
Spoilers: None. Actually - this could be set anywhere but season 6   
  
Rating: G - nothing bad here.  
  
Pairing: Well, duh! Sam and Jack, of course..  
  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG1 and its characters are property of Stargate (II) productions, Showtime/Viacom,   
  
MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This fanfic was written for entertainment   
  
purposes only and absolutely no money exchanged hands as a result of this story. No copyright   
  
infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are property of the author. This story   
  
may not be posted anywhere else without the consent of the author.  
  
Authors Note: MANY thanks to both my beta's (Venom and Chezza) for all the hard work they've done   
  
over the past few months. Your work is ALWAYS appreciated. As is your feedback. This little plot-  
  
bunny came out of a conversation with Venom on the weekend about the silent 'couple speak' that Sam   
  
and Jack had going on in one of the episodes we were watching (can't remember which one).   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As usual, we were seated around the briefing room table. SG-1 arranged down either side of the large   
  
wooden structure, myself at the head. It was a position we'd all sat in more times than any of us cared to   
  
count in the last six and a half years. But - God willing - a position we'd all be sitting in for many years to   
  
come.  
  
Doctor Jackson was discussing the latest reports sent back from SG-17, including a mineral and toxically   
  
report from the two rivers spanning the valley SG-17 were studying in. I'd read the report myself and   
  
realized the significance of their findings, but as usual I let the Doctor explain. If for nothing else, it gave   
  
Jack a good idea of what was going on. For everyone on base knew that if the information was in a report,   
  
Colonel O'Neill would not know about it.  
  
I thought about the grooming I was currently undertaking with O'Neill to prepare him for the eventual   
  
command of this base and shuddered internally. I regularly spent at least six to seven hours of my day   
  
immersed in paper work of some kind. And I did not want to think about the piles of requisitions,   
  
performance reviews, reports and general paper work that would have piled up before O'Neill realised that   
  
yes, one did have a lot of paperwork to do when running a base. Especially this base.   
  
I cast my eyes over to my second-in-command, all the while listening to Doctor Jackson detail the   
  
information in the reports we'd all (sans Jack) read before entering this briefing. He was slouching - no   
  
real surprise there - in his seat, fingers ticking over the scarred, stained wood of the table. He was tapping   
  
out a pattern, but I couldn't make it out. I could tell, however, that he'd stopped listening to the   
  
archaeologist a long time ago.  
  
I blinked in surprise when I saw Major Carter elbow the Colonel lightly in the ribs. I had no idea they were   
  
sitting that close to each other. The movement was tiny, almost missed as she shifted slightly in her chair.   
  
But an elbow to his ribs it was, because immediately after that, he sat up slightly and blinked his eyes,   
  
looking at Daniel once more.  
  
The Major shot him a look I couldn't decipher, one which he returned a few minutes later. Doctor Jackson   
  
and Teal'c continued with the briefing, neither one of them seeming to pay attention to the by-play that was   
  
occurring on the opposite side of the table.  
  
A few minutes later, Major Carter started her part of the briefing, and once again, I knew the content. It   
  
had all been written up within her weekly report that she sent to both myself, the Joint Chiefs and the   
  
Commander of Area 51. But I let her continue for the same reason I'd let Doctor Jackson talk. Jack had to   
  
at least have a gist of what was going on, and if this was the only way to get that knowledge across to him,   
  
then we would go with this medium. For now.  
  
I caught Jack once again casting Major Carter a look. Which she returned, in the middle of her sentence on   
  
the elemental composite of the base mineral we had found on P4C 989. I watched, impressed, then realised   
  
what I was seeing.  
  
It was something I'd done with my beloved wife for thirty four years. What we fondly referred to as   
  
'couple-speak'. They were holding a conversation. A conversation based solely upon body language and   
  
looks. And now that I knew what I was looking at, I could translate their body-language into words.   
  
"Pay attention, Jack" She was saying as she briefly glanced at him. He raised his eyebrow minutely.  
  
"Oh, I hang on every word, Sam." He replied, a grin twitching the corner of his lip. She frowned slightly,   
  
still narrating from her report.  
  
"Don't lie to me, Jack."  
  
"Me?" He protested through a small cough and a slight movement away from her. He grabbed a pen from   
  
the desk and started 'doodling' randomly. Sam took a breath and a sip from her water before continuing   
  
with her briefing, all the while the silent conversation continued.  
  
"You. See, you've even got a pen! What, am I not interesting anymore?" She said as she turned slightly   
  
away to look at me. I blanked my face and tried to look interested in the report she was giving. She never   
  
noticed, too intent on her words - both silent and oral. Jack quickly put the pen back down, all but denying   
  
her last 'words'. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing. This woman had the Colonel wrapped   
  
around her little finger. Why had I not noticed this before?   
  
"No!" Jack objected, turning back towards her, and placing a hand on his knee, closer to her leg. He   
  
tapped his knee in rhythm. She glanced down at it and sighed.  
  
"Good. Cause I'd hate to have to hurt you." She smiled slightly as she finished off her briefing, turning   
  
the control back to me. I sat up straighter, a little scattered in my thoughts.  
  
"Right. So, anything more to add?" I asked, watching as the two of them sat back in their chairs, leaning   
  
closer to one another.  
  
"Love you." They said. My soft sappy heart sighed. Yes, I have a soft sappy heart. My wife had told me   
  
more often than I could count. But never out loud. And I never needed it said out loud. There are just   
  
some things that are as easy to say silently as they are to be shouted.  
  
"Not a thing, sir." Jack said, clearing his throat. Normally I would have thought his clearing his throat was   
  
due to him trying to wake up after drifting away during the meeting. But now I'm not so sure.  
  
"In that case, you have a go, SG-1. Be ready for departure at 1530 hours." The team nodded back at me,   
  
and I sat back to watch them head out.  
  
"Cake?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow. Carter nodded and they walked out together.  
  
I turned my attention to Teal'c, who was watching me with calm brown eyes. I blinked at him, and he   
  
bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. Hmm.. It seemed that I wasn't the only one to understand   
  
'couple speak'.  
  
-fin- 


End file.
